The Wandering Spider
by sparks1120
Summary: Six months ago, Peter Parker disappeared without a trace. One month ago, the case was closed by the police. Two days ago, the Wandering Spider made its first appearance.
1. Prologue

Prologue

It was nearing midnight as Peter landed on a rooftop overlooking the city. He knew it was late and remembered the pile of unfinished homework waiting for him in his room. With a sigh he took off his mask and rubbed his eyes. Normally he would stay out much later but his lack of sleep from too many late nights was beginning to catch up with him. A siren went off in the distance and a crash could be heard from somewhere nearby, but Peter was running on empty. He rubbed his eyes again and sat down, looking at the old cemetery across the street. Everything seemed normal, a little quiet for a typical night in the city, but normal.

Peter had dozed off but jolted awake to the sound of screeching tires on the road below him. He threw his mask back on and saw three men unload from a black van as another pulled in next to it. Two more men climbed out of the second van, armed with weapons half the size of their bodies.

"Something isn't right..." he whispered to himself as he listened to the quiet conversation across the street.

"How long are we going to wait for it?"

"Relax, our weapon will be here in due time."

One man stood over the others unarmed as the others readily clutched their weapons, their fingers ready to pull the trigger.

"Karen, call Mr. Stark," Peter whispered. He knew from the beginning that something wasn't right but the feeling in his stomach continued to grow as he watched the men patrol through the cemetery.

He sighed when there was no answer but left a message. "Hey, Mr. Stark. There's some weird stuff going on over here. Um, I think I'm on Walnut, but I'm not too sure. I'm at that old cemetery, you know the one. Just grab my location from Karen. There's five guys- ha five guys- um yeah there's five guys here and-shoot! I think they saw me!"

Peter ducked just in time as a blast shot through the space where he was just standing.

"They definitely saw me! Mr. Stark I gotta go!"

He immediately ended the message and swung across the street to the stone building neighboring the cemetery.

Peter assumed someone had called for backup because as soon as he landed, two more vans arrived and spit out four men, each one armed with a different weapon. He swore under his breath and crouched down to analyze the situation. He heard the leader bark orders in a harsh sounding language and watched as two men pull a large metal crate out of the back of one of the original vans.

"Alright here goes nothing." He braced himself and swung down into the middle of the circle.

"Hey there fellas. Sorry to be the one to tell you the bad news, but the bodybuilding competition was last week. You're late."

Peter mentally chided himself as the men just stood there staring at him, probably out of confusion at how young he sounded. He gulped and decided to break the silence.

"Uh, so if you could get on your way..."

Peters words died out as he noticed the red patch on the arm of one of the men.

"Oh man," he mumbled quietly. In that instant, the men reacted in sync and launched for the superhero. Peter reacted immediately and sprang up into the air to avoid the collision, then flipped behind the group.

Peter lost track of what happened next. There were blurs of punches and kicks. A hit to the head. A kick to the chest. He felt a rope wrap around his left arm and flew backward onto the ground. He kicked the legs of one man and watched as he stumbled backward to regain his balance. Peter took this brief moment to stand again and barely dodge a blast from a gun. He yelped as a man slammed him to the ground and hovered over him. A man somewhere nearby shouted orders in the same foreign language, as Peter struggled to escape the grasp pinning him down.

Peter blinked and the man was gone, instead, a suit of red and gold in his place.

"You good kid?"

"Mr. Stark! I-" Peter was cut short by another blast and the duo leapt into action.

A punch. A kick. A blast. Peter used a tree to swing and kick a man in the chest. The gun fired and hit Peter, knocking him to the ground. He sharply inhaled when he hit the ground.

"Kid!" He heard a voice and then a blast in the distance that he knew belonged to Tony.

"I'm good, I'm good," Peter groaned as he sat up and the inventor appeared in front of him.

"Come on kid, let's get you home."

"But-"

"They're taken care of. All eight of them."

"Nine."

"What?"

"There were nine of them."

Before Tony could speak, an electric current shocked through the suit and paralyzed it, trapping him inside. He could only watch as a man walked out from the shadows toward Peter, pushing him down with a boot on his chest then stopping to face the man in the suit. Tony knew that Peter couldn't move, whether it was out of fear or pain he couldn't tell. It may have been both.

"Thank you for bringing us our weapon, _Tony Stark_," the man said in his thick accent.

"The suit? Like hell you can have it," Tony spoke through his metal cage.

"Your suit means nothing to us."

"Then what..." His words faded as the man turned to face Peter.

"The spider."

Peter felt the blood drain from his face and was thankful that his mask was still on so that Tony couldn't tell how _afraid_ he was.

"Goodnight Spider." He kicked Peter in the head and it gently lolled to the side.

"Kid!" Tony curiously attempted to break out of his metal prison as the man dragged Peters unconscious form away from his field of view. He heard the vans drive away as he continued to yell for his kid.

Tony didn't know how long he remained trapped until he heard a click and watched as the suit disappeared from around him. He sank to his knees, covering his tear stained face with his hands. The cemetery was empty other than himself. He shakily stood and staggered to where Peter had laid on the ground in front of him.

In the bare space laid a torn red patch. A skull with tentacles stared up at him.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Sirens echoed through the streets and lights reflected from every possible surface. A dark figure was silently perched on the rooftop. The spider watched the people below. Its prey. Most spiders are harmless to humans while some have bites that can cause slight irritation. Other spiders are fortunate enough to have venom strong enough to kill. However this spider wasn't like the others, it was a trained killer, a deadly hunter. Most people are lucky enough to never encounter this spider in their lives, but those who do, stare death in the eyes.

A man walked on the street below with a briefcase clutched tightly in his hand. Nothing about him made him different from the others going home from long days at their office jobs, except this man had a target on his back. The spider jumped to the roof of the neighboring building with ease and continued to stalk its prey. From rooftop to rooftop the spider followed until an intersection approached. As the man quickly crossed the street, the spider dismounted from the roof onto a closed kiosk and then to the building on the other side.

The duo continued to the outskirts of the city. The spider could tell the man was paranoid as he called a taxi and looked behind his shoulder. The car drove slowly, stopping at stop signs and traffic lights, allowing the spider to follow close behind in the shadows. Eventually the vehicle stopped outside of a small white house and the man hurriedly climbed the stairs to the front door. The spider was already on the roof of the porch, patiently waiting for the perfect moment to attack.

A light turned on inside the house and the spider jumped down to the front door and almost smiled when it realized the man had left the door unlocked in his panic. Silently, the spider entered the house and waited at the bottom of the stairs when a creak sounded from above.

"Daddy?" A quiet voice could be heard.

"Hush sweetie. Go back to bed."

"But-"

"Evelyn, come on honey. Let's go to bed."

Footsteps caused the floorboards to groan and when the sound of two doors closing could be heard, the spider began to climb up the stairs. Carefully navigating the loose floorboards, the spider approached the room on the left. It slowly opened the door to reveal the moonlight shining into a soft pink room.

A toy castle sat below the window and dolls were scattered on the floor. A nightlight was plugged in by the door that was covered in glittery stickers. A small bed sat in the corner but was piled with blankets and stuffed animals. Hidden among the things, a young girl laid sleeping, clutching a worn stuffed rabbit. The spider crept to the bed and stood there contemplating its actions. Finally in one fluid motion, it pulled out a knife and made its attack, then left the room without looking back.

The spider silently crossed the hall to the unopened room and the house held its breath as the spider opened the wooden door. A couple slept in their bed, unaware of the danger in the room. The spider crawled forward and stood by the bed, staring over the sleeping woman. It tugged uncomfortably at the gag covering its face but the mask didn't move. The woman shifted in her sleep and the spider knew it had to act soon. In the same fluid movement, the spider pulled out the now stained knife and made its mark. Seconds later, the man met the same fate.

The silence now hung heavily in the air and threatened to choke anything that disturbed its presence. The spider quickly found the safe hidden in the closet and set to dialing combinations. The safe door popped open in two tries and revealed the briefcase that sat inside. The spider grabbed the case and leapt down the stairs. Using the phone on the wall, the spider dialed a number then quickly left the house with its prize. Climbing onto the roof of a nearby house, the spider watched as police arrived with their flashing lights moments later. It didn't take long for the officers to discover the victims of the spider. But no matter how hard they could have tried, no one escapes the deadly Wandering Spider.

It took less than a minute for the spider to take down the first officer. When an unsuspecting officer exited the horror filled house, he quickly met the same fate as the first. The sound of sirens filled the quiet street as another police car pulled into the driveway. The spider stood still in the beam of the headlights and the officers exited the car with guns raised.

"Put your hands where I can see them!" The male officer demanded but the spider remained silent and still.

"Put your hands up!" The woman repeated, but the spider simply stared back with glaring eyes. While the Wandering Spider doesn't make webs, the officers still wandered into its trap.

One officer cautiously stepped forward which gave the spider an opening to attack. In one motion the gun was turned back on the woman who was now in a headlock. The spider could see the fear in the man's eyes as he stood facing the pair with the gun pointed at them.

"Let her go." His voice shook slightly as he spoke. When the spider didn't move, he repeated his command with no results. In the blink of an eye, the man fired the gun and the woman laid bleeding on the ground with the spider no where in sight. The man fumbled for his radio, giving the spider the opportunity it needed for its blade to find a home in the officer's neck. It then leapt into the trees and disappeared into the night.

The spider didn't stop until it found itself standing in front of a man dressed in black.

"Good job, Spider. I see your mission was a success." The man held out a hand for the spider to pass over the briefcase that was now stained with blood. "Now that we have this, we move on to the next phase. Your next mission is in this folder. You have not failed me yet, so do not start now."

The man walked away leaving the spider with a folder with bold letters reading The Avengers.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"_Goodnight Spider." Tony watched helplessly as the man swiftly kicked Peter's head, knocking him unconscious. Tony cried and screamed, begging for him to be taken instead, for any amount of money the man could want, just to let Peter go. He was frozen as the man picked up Peter's limp body and took him away._

"_Peter!" He yelled, his throat raw._

Tony woke up panting with the memory replaying in his head. He choked back a sob and covered his mouth to stay quiet. Pepper was asleep next to him, her chest rising and falling with every gentle breath. Tony shakily climbed out of bed and staggered into the hallway. He knew that he wouldn't be sleeping for the rest of the night as he wandered through the silent halls to the kitchen. The coffee maker was calling his name.

As the coffee brewed, Tony leaned against the counter with his eyes closed. Images from his dream flashed through his mind again. Luckily the beeping of the machine to his right freed him from his thoughts. He sighed, pouring the hot coffee into a mug and making his way down to his lab, the one place where he could distract himself from the haunting memories.

The lab was nearly silent as Tony sat and tinkered with a robot on the table. Small sparks flew out of the machine but Tony was unfazed. He sighed and put the screwdriver down. He sipped from his coffee, which was growing cold, to prevent himself from growing tired. He couldn't fall asleep. He couldn't face those memories again. They already plagued him nearly every night for the past six months.

"FRIDAY? What time is it?"

"It is 3:47 AM sir."

At that moment, a light knock sounded from the door. Without waiting for an answer, the door opened and revealed Pepper on the other side.

"I knew I'd find you here." She walked over to the table and took a seat next to Tony.

"Go back to bed, Pep." He didn't look up from his work.

"Well when I find your side of the bed no longer empty this early, I will actually sleep through the night." She gave a small smile, but it was one of pity, not joy.

Tony looked at her. "Don't give me that look."

"It's been months. I know this is hard on you, but everyone's been trying."

"The police gave up because there wasn't any evidence and deemed it less important than other cases. Six months the Kid has been missing and the police say it's 'not a priority.' How is that trying?"

"Tony-"

"I've been trying! But almost every night I see _that night_ all over again. And every time I can't do anything but watch as they take him."

"We will find him. I promise. But you need to promise me that you'll try to move on. This isn't good for you."

Tony didn't answer and instead put his head down on the table. Pepper stood and put a hand on his shoulder.

"May called last night but I didn't want to bother you. Since I know you won't go back to bed, why don't you go down and visit? It might be good for you both."

Tony picked his head up. "What would I do without you?"

Pepper leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Give her a call on your way there," she said and left the room, closing the door softly behind her.

Tony liked to drive. While Happy was the one to usually drive, because he insisted, Tony still preferred to be the one behind the wheel. Driving at night was no different. It didn't take him long to reach the city and it took him even less time to find himself at the familiar door.

He didn't even knock before the door opened revealing May. Her eyes were puffy and her cheeks were carved with dried tear trails.

"Tony, come in come in," her voice was hoarse and she ushered him inside. The two of them sat down on the couch and May sighed.

"I hope you don't mind me coming this early." Tony looked at her with sadness.

"No, it's fine. I wasn't asleep and I doubt you were either."

Tony smiled slightly at her comment.

"I'm guessing by your silence that Pepper didn't tell you why I called," she took a breath, "I'm leaving New York."

"What?"

"I've lost too much in this city. I lost Ben. Then all I had was Peter. Now I've lost him too and the police have given up. And with the new spider that showed up two days ago," she shook her head, "I tried to wait out this feeling but I need to leave. Everyday I'm just reminded of what I no longer have."

"May..."

"Please this is my choice."

"I'm not saying you should stay, but you don't have to leave. We're still trying everything we can. Cap took down another base a few days ago. He didn't find anything but that means we're one step closer to finding something."

"You know that I appreciate everything you've been doing."

"I guess I can't convince you then?"

"I'll stay in touch. Keep me updated if you find things."

"When. When we find things."

May forced a smile. "Of course."

"So, where to?"

"South Carolina. I have a friend down there who is going to help me start over."

"I hope you can find happiness again. Peter would want that for you."

The two teary-eyed adults embraced on the old couch. They had both been through so much and the silence was gratefully accepted.

The drive home was different. The city began to liven up more and the roads started to fill with traffic. Tony drove in silence in order to concentrate on his breathing. The events of the day triggered his anxiety more than usual and he knew the road was the worst place to have an attack.

Tony finally managed to escape the swarm of cars and onto a quiet road as he got closer to the compound. The trees along the road prevented the light from the sunrise to shine through completely. Out of the corner of his eye, the bushes moved and a person broke through the brush. Tony slammed on the brakes as the person collapsed onto the asphalt in front of the car. He quickly through the door open and ran to the figure laying in front of him.

His eyes widened and he fumbled to grab his phone from his coat pocket. He swore when it continued to ring until the call was answered.

"Hello?"

"Happy, get Bruce to the medbay _now_. I found him."


	4. Chapter 3

Hey readers it's me. I am so sorry about the major delay in updates. I've had exams and the SAT and just short of a million other things thrown at me over the past month or two. So here's an apology chapter (sorry it's a little shorter than usual) and the weekly Saturday updates will be back starting in two days. Love you guys.

Chapter 3

Peter's hearing came back first. He was aware of a steady beeping and the quiet humming of fluorescent lights. His sense of smell came back next. Wherever he was smelled of antiseptic. It smelled clean, too clean compared to what he was used to. He had grown accustomed to the faint smell of mold and blood over time. He wasn't sure where that memory came from, but he knew it was there. Then came touch. He almost flinched when he felt the softness of what he was laying on. He could feel each individual thread and the presence of something foreign flowing through his veins. While he was familiar with drugs in his system, they were always paired with the memory of cold metal, not soft fabric.

With his eyes still closed, he reached for the thing in his arm.

"Don't mess with your IV."

The voice sounded familiar and he risked opening his eyes to see who it was. Seated next to the bed, was his mentor who he had not seen in...how long was it?

Mr. Stark?" Peter's voice was hoarse and his throat hurt when he talked.

"Hey Kid. How're you feeling?"

"I'm fine." He shifted to sit up in the bed.

"The fact that you've been asleep for two days says otherwise."

"What?"

"What do you remember?"

Um...I remember the guys at the cemetery and then I got hurt I think, and uh, they hit you with something and one of- one of the men took me. But you got me back right?"

"How do you remember that? You were unconscious."

Another man, who Peter recognized as well, walked over to them. "Hey Peter, how are you feeling?"

"My head hurts. These lights are too bright."

"FRIDAY turn the lights down."

The lights immediately dimmed and Peter audibly sighed in relief.

Bruce spoke again, "Peter is that the last thing you remember?"

"Yeah? Is there something wrong?"

Tony sighed heavily. "Kid, you've been missing for six months."

Peter felt like he hit a brick wall. "W-What?" He choked. His eyes began to sting with tears and the beeping started to accelerate.

"Woah Kid calm down, just breathe. Come on take a breath." Tony was visibly worried, his forehead wrinkled with concern.

Peter gripped the sides of the bed and tried to calm his rapid breathing.

_Six months? How had he been gone for six months? Why didn't he remember anything? Is that why he dreamed of cold metal and the smell of blood? Was that even a dream at all? What about Aunt May? He had been gone for so long... And Ned? MJ? They probably thought he was dead. Six whole months..._

"Peter, come on. Focus on your breathing Kid." Tony sat next to him and put a hand on his back, but Peter barely made out the words as he heard his heart pounding in his chest. Tears threatened to fall down Peter's face as he shook. His breathing didn't slow and instead sped up into a shallow repetition.

Peter could hear Bruce say something but he wasn't sure what as the ringing in his ears grew louder and spots swirled in his vision.

"Peter, you need to take deep breaths." The voice sounded angry, Peter noticed, as he tried to force air into lungs.

It took a few moments but Peter's panic attack was reduced to a couple harsh exhales and shudders. Tears continued to run down his blotchy face and Tony wondered how the kid had anything left.

"I feel sick," Peter mumbled.

Bruce lunged for the small trash can and held it under the kid's mouth as the contents of his empty stomach decided to leave where they belonged.

Peter looked at Tony with sad eyes, shiny from the tears. "May. I want Aunt May."

Tony let out a sigh. "She-"

"I want Aunt May. Ned too." His voice wavered but his gaze remained locked and serious.

"Okay Kid, but please rest. You got yourself too worked up."

Peter nodded weakly and laid down, drifting off seconds later.

Tony turned to Bruce. "He's not okay. I can see it in his eyes. We don't know what they did to him, but somewhere inside, he knows. He knows what they did and what they made him do. He knows how he got back here and he knows how he got that scar on the bridge of his nose. He knows everything and I wish he didn't."

"He's a fighter, Tony. He's proven that time and time again. You know that."

"They could have taken that away from him."

"Tony-"

"I'm not arguing with you Bruce. I'm going to find out what they did to my kid." With that, Tony walked out of the room. He had a phone call to make.


	5. Chapter 4

**Hello lovelies! I'm not sure if anyone reads these, but let me know! I hope you enjoy this chapter because the story only gets better and more exciting from here. Leave a review and tell me what you think!**

Chapter 4

Peter gasped as the air was forced from his lungs when he was thrown to the ground. The man towering above him kicked him in the ribs. Peter curled in on himself to protect his bruised chest as he was kicked again.

"When you are given an order." Another kick. "You obey it."

The man grabbed Peter's arm with a grip of steel and dragged him down the hall. Peter struggled to free himself from the man's grip, screaming and grunting as he was pulled. They turned the corner and the boy on the floor hit the sharp edge as they passed by. He tried to kick the legs of the man but his kicks were out of sync with the man's steps.

A sign flashed in Peter's peripheral vision and his heart sank.

"No... no no no!" He screamed. With renewed strength, Peter fought the grip holding him hostage.

"No no! Please no!" His cries echoed down the concrete hallway. "Please I'll listen! Just please don't! Please no!"

Peter's face was red and tears ran down his cheeks as he put every bit of his limited energy into escaping. He couldn't go back into that room.

The double doors flew open as the man entered the room without slowing his pace. He barked an order at the two people standing in the room which sent them to frantically follow his command. Peter had figured out that the language was German, but he was unable to decipher what they were saying. They only spoke in English when talking to him, or if they wanted him to understand what they were saying. And when they spoke to him, the outcome was never good.

Peter was desperate to escape when the chair entered his line of vision.

"No! Let me go! Please no!" His throat was raw from his screaming. "Please don't make me. Please," he sobbed.

The two men didn't listen as they strapped Peter's wrists and ankles down in the chair. The one who had brought him there walked away. "Silence him."

One man brought over the gag Peter was all too familiar with. The thick metal dug into the bridge of his nose as the man put it onto his face.

Tears continued to fall as he weakly tried to pull free from his restraints. The leader came back over and Peter struggled again, his hoarse screams muffled by the muzzle. In his hands the man held a book. Peter's eyes widened and the man began to read.

Peter woke up gasping and his head pounded. He calmed his accelerated heart rate and cautiously sat up, looking around the dark room. An empty chair occupied the space next his bed. A cup of water sat on the table nearby. He quickly grabbed the cup and drank it, then noticed the IV had been removed from his arm.

Peter felt the need to get outside. His dream crept back into his thoughts and he shook his head. He couldn't remember that ever happening, but it had a sense of familiarity that sent shivers down his spine. Peter carefully stood, holding the side of the bed for support. Shakily, he made his way to the door and almost laughed at the sticky note reading "don't even think about it Kid" stuck there.

Despite the note, Peter quietly opened the door and stood in the hallway. He had only been to the compound a few times to work with his mentor, which was not in the medical bay where he had been. After considering asking FRIDAY for help, he decided against it knowing the AI would alert Tony, and made his way down the hall on his left.

He wandered into a lobby area and froze in his spot when he saw his mentor standing at the other end with his back facing him. Peter hid against the wall and watched the man ahead of him. He stood there for a long time before he saw Tony move. Peter noticed the phone in his hand and listened closely as Tony dialed a number and began to talk.

Tony rocked on his heels. "Cap."

Peter's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Weren't they not on speaking terms?

"I'm honestly surprised you answered at this time. It's what? Almost three in the morning? Actually I'm surprised you picked up at all now that I think about. I know you're not the first person I want to talk to so I can only imagine how you feel on your end." He paused, nodding along to whatever Steve was saying on the other end. "It's the kid. We got him back a few days ago. I found him when I was coming back from his aunt's place."

Peter's eyes widened at that statement. Aunt May. In his few moments of consciousness over the past few days, he hadn't asked about her. But what had his mentor been doing at their apartment?

"Yeah he is. But we don't know what happened in those six months. He doesn't remember anything since he was taken." He paused again and walked to sit on a chair facing the wall of glass.

Tony sighed. "I know I should've reached out sooner, but I needed time and I was so focused on the kid." He paused again. "This isn't about me damnit. Just please help. If not for me then for the kid."

Peter looked at Tony with sadness. He knew it wasn't his fault for his disappearance, but he couldn't help but blame himself for the distress it caused his mentor.

"Thank you. I'll send you what I know. Just... thank you." Tony hung up the phone and let out a shuddering breath like he was near tears.

In that moment Peter wanted to comfort Tony, but the swelling feeling in his chest prevented him from doing so. Instead he turned and silently fled down the hall in search of a door to the outside.


	6. Chapter 5

**Yikes I suck at updating on a schedule. I just had zero inspiration for the second half of this chapter and no motivation to write with everything that has happened over the past two weeks. This chapter isn't that exciting but it is an important starting point for the action that is coming soon! Leave a review and let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

Chapter 5

Peter nearly cried when the door opened to reveal the dark night sky hanging over him. The chill of the early April air didn't affect Peter as much as he thought it would have, but still caused him to shiver slightly. He wandered out farther from the building, but still within a close radius, and sat in a patch of grass he deemed wasn't too wet from the early morning dew. He looked up at the stars which were slightly covered by the clouds drifting by and gently closed his eyes.

"Little cold out here isn't it?" The voice startled Peter and he quickly turned to see Tony with a blanket in his arms.

"I-"

"Here Kid." Tony handed him the blanket and Peter shivered, gratefully accepting it.

The man carefully sat down next to the boy and sighed. "You know I put that note on the door for a reason."

Peter laughed softly. "I know. But you know that I don't listen very well."

"Glad to know that hasn't changed."

Peter's smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared. "Yeah," he mumbled.

"You know you can talk to me right?"

"I know it's just... I don't even know what to talk about. You said I've been missing for six months but I don't remember anything..." His words faded as confusion and sadness filled his expression.

"Peter?" He looked at the kid who refused to look his mentor in the eyes. "Hey look at me."

The boy looked at him with teary eyes.

"We're going to find out what happened. And I won't let anyone take you ever again."

There was silence for a moment before Peter looked away again.

"I had a dream. At least I think it was just a dream. It just...it seemed so familiar. There was a man and...and he was kicking me and yelling saying something about obeying orders. He took me to this room and there was this chair and they had this gag thing? And the man had this book and I know that whatever it was it wasn't good. I couldn't sleep. I needed to come outside." Peter began to sniff and wiped a stray tear from his face with the blanket he was wrapped in.

"Come here Kid." Tony slid closer to Peter and wrapped an arm around him. Peter rested his head on Tony's shoulder and the two stayed there until Peter drifted off.

Tony almost fell asleep himself until the sound of footsteps in the grass brought him out of his daze. He turned slowly, careful to not disturb the kid resting on his shoulder.

"Little cold out here isn't it?"

"Steve."

"I wasn't far so when I didn't get a follow up, I figured I'd stop by myself."

"Well as you can see I'm a little preoccupied."

"Yes I see that."

"When I got off the phone with you FRIDAY alerted me that he had left his room and went outside. I can't have the kid freezing now can I?" Tony sighed and Steve walked closer to him.

"No I guess not. Is he alright?"

"He's holding in there. But not well. That wall inside his head is crumbling as we speak. And I'm afraid of what's behind it."

"You know Bucky-"

"Don't."

"I was-"

"Do not. Do not go there. Please."

"Okay." Steve took a deep breath. "Okay."

The two kept awkward eye contact until Tony turned his attention back onto Peter. Without stirring, Tony picked up the kid in a single motion.

"Need help?" Steve's eyebrows furrowed.

"He's not as heavy as you might think." Tony headed toward the building with Steve following shortly behind.

•••

Tony silently closed the door behind him as he joined Steve in the hallway.

"Don't look at me like that."

"I wasn't-"

"Just stop there. Why'd you come here?"

"I told you that already Stark."

"I know that. But why? You didn't have to come."

"I want to help. If not you then at least Peter."

Tony sighed. "I don't know much. All I have from six months ago is that patch and the memories that replay in my head every night. I found him coming back here from his aunt's place in the city. Ran right out into the road and collapsed. I didn't know what it was until I got out of my car and looked."

"How far away from here?"

"Uh, maybe ten miles? Not sure. I was a little distracted by the fact that he just showed up after six months."

"We might have a lead."

Tony nearly choked at Steve's words. "What?"

"We may have something. Bucky and I located an abandoned bunker. Seems like it was Hydra or involved with them. There wasn't much left behind but they probably cleared out quickly based on the looks of it. We found this." Steve pulled a small flash drive out of his pocket and handed it to Tony. "I haven't looked through it yet. There may be something on there that can help."

"Thank you."

"I'll get going then. I'll let you do what you need to." Steve turned to head out, but Tony put a hand on his shoulder.

"Look through this with me. You found it. And we've been distant for so long, maybe you should be involved. The kid needs all the help he can get."


	7. Chapter 6

**So just a heads up, this chapter may be a little confusing structure-wise but hopefully you're all able to understand it. Something big happens so buckle your seat belts! Don't forget to leave a review and tell me if you saw it coming!**

Chapter 6

He inserted the flash drive and waited for it to load. The room was silent but Tony would have bet money that the accelerated beating of his heart could be heard throughout the room not just in his own head. Why was he so nervous? He had been fine moments before but the flood of what ifs entered his thoughts and he couldn't shake the feeling that whatever was in this hard drive wasn't good.

A black screen with a white box requesting a code appeared.

"FRIDAY bypass the security on the file."

"On it Boss," was the AI's only response.

It only took a few seconds for the file to open and show the scanned form of a Manila folder.

"It looks like they scanned the paper copy to have an electronic backup," Steve said, but the words didn't make their way to Tony who had tuned the world out at the sight of the words displayed on the screen. The cover read "The Spider Project" in a large red font with "classified" stamped underneath.

"Tony." Steve put his hand gently on the billionaire's shoulder. The air was heavy with dread. The two stood there silently staring at the screen until Tony clicked on the arrow to turn to the next page. The top read "Subject 001: Brown Recluse" with a picture of a brunette girl underneath. Upon seeing the photo,Tony let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding.

"It's not him." Tony wished he hadn't sounded that happy, but knew that Steve would understand his relief. It wasn't Peter.

The two continued to read the page.

Subject 001: Brown Recluse

Name: Daisy Owens

Birthdate: April 22, 2002 (aged 16 years)

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Brown

Other Significant Features: birthmark on back

City: Brooklyn, New York City

Abilities: adhesion, enhanced strength, enhanced hearing and sight, enhanced agility, venom, accelerated healing

Trigger Words: N/A

Status: terminated

Notes: Subject arrived on August 23rd with minor injuries due to struggle during capture. Subject showed potential during beginning phase but emotions prevented a successful conversion in phase two. Work this out in future subjects. Subject was terminated on September 9th.

Tony's stomach sank when he got to the end.

"They killed her..." He heard Steve mumble. Wordlessly, he clicked to the next page.

Subject 002: Red Widow

Name: Emily Sullivan

Birthdate: September 3, 2001 (aged 17 years)

Hair: Red

Eyes: Blue

Other Significant Features: N/A

City: Staten Island, New York City

Abilities: adhesion, enhanced agility, enhanced hearing and sight, mild venom

Trigger Words: located in book

Status: terminated

Notes: Subject was brought to base with broken arm on August 26th. Subject passed on to phase two with minor setbacks. Subject completed phase two with the fulfillment of the task assigned. Failure to comply during second mission led to termination on October 12th.

Steve's mind locked in on the trigger words. They succeeded...partially. Hydra was still able to create brainwashed soldiers. Except now they were taking kids to fulfill their needs.

Subject 003: Yellow Sac Spider

Name: Trevor Williams

Birthdate: January 19, 2003 (aged 15 years)

Hair: Blond

Eyes: left brown, right green

Other Significant Features: birthmark on left shoulder

City: Brooklyn, New York City

Abilities: adhesion, enhanced strength, enhanced hearing and sight, "sixth sense", accelerated healing

Trigger words: located in book

Status: deceased

Notes: Subject arrived at base on August 31st with minor injuries and mild concussion which were received during capture. Subject adjusted to abilities administered in phase one at a rapid rate. Subject continued to phase two and had a successful conversion and task which concluded the phase. Subject was attacked and killed by Subject 005 on October 1st.

Subject 004: Wolf Spider

Name: Jameson Brown

Birthdate: July 2, 2001 (aged 17 years)

Hair: Black

Eyes: Black

Other Significant Features: burn mark on right forearm

City: Bronx, New York City

Abilities: enhanced strength, enhanced agility, enhanced hearing and sight, accelerated healing, hunter instincts

Trigger words: located in book

Status: terminated

Notes: Subject captured on September 2nd without struggle. Minor setbacks due to additional testing during phase one. Subject had a successful conversion but was unable to complete mission assigned to end phase two resulting in termination on October 21st.

Subject 005: Funnel Web Spider

Name: Cassandra Dawson

Birthdate: March 7, 2002 (aged 16 years)

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Blue

Other Significant Features: N/A

City: Manhattan, New York City

Abilities: enhanced strength, enhanced hearing and sight, organic webs, "sixth sense", accelerated healing

Trigger Words: located in book

Status: terminated

Notes: Subject captured on September 13th without struggle. Minor setbacks due to testing of web ability during phase one. After completing phase two, Subject displayed excessive violent behavior. Subject killed Subject 003 on October 1st and was terminated on October 4th following the death of an agent.

Tony rubbed a hand on his face in disbelief. "They killed each other."

"Tony I think we should stop. I-"

"No I have to make sure Peter isn't in here."

"What will you do if he is?"

"I don't know." His words were barely audible as he clicked to the next page.

Subject 006: Chilean Recluse

Name: Talia La Rosa

Birthdate: June 18, 2003 (aged 15 years)

Hair: Black

Eyes: Brown

Other Significant Features: scar above left eyebrow

City: Brooklyn, New York City

Abilities: adhesion, enhanced agility, enhanced hearing and sight, organic webs, venom, accelerated healing

Trigger Words: located in book

Status: deceased

Notes: Subject was captured on September 27th. Subject completed phase one successfully and completed phase two as well. Subject displayed issues while on a mission in phase three which led to sudden death on October 30th.

"Tony."

"Please there's one more."

Steve sighed. He understood Tony's anxiety. He had felt the same way with Bucky...but under different circumstances. He could tell how much the kid meant to Tony, so he let him continue but he feared the worst. "Okay."

Tony clicked the arrow for the final time and saw what he never wished to see.

Subject 007: The Wandering Spider

Name: Peter Parker

Birthdate: August 10, 2001 (aged 17 years)

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Brown

Other Significant Features: N/A

City: Queens, New York City

Abilities: adhesion, enhanced strength, enhanced agility, enhanced hearing and sight, "sixth sense", accelerated healing, etc.

Trigger Words: located in book

Status: alive

Notes: Subject was captured on October 5th with minor injuries and concussion. Due to Subject's preexisting abilities, phase one was bypassed. Many setbacks occurred in phase two due to stubborn behavior. Subject displayed strong connection to outside world when not complying in a mission. Subject displayed outstanding performance on missions most likely due to former experience as the vigilante Spider-Man. Subject has become first of the project to pass phase three and has been deployed for its task of phase four.

Tony's heart sank but he felt numb. His kid... what he was seeing couldn't be real. Like the nightmares he had for six months. This was just another one of those right? He would wake up and Peter would be okay and-

"Tony. Tony breathe. We're going to fix this."

"That's him. The Wandering Spider. The one on the news the other day. The one who killed that SHIELD agent and his family in their home. Peter killed people. My kid killed people..."

The room remained silent, neither man knowing what to say next. When the silence broke, it wasn't from either of them.

"Sir there is an alert at the front door."

"No one else should be coming. Who is it FRIDAY?"

"It's James Barnes."


End file.
